Thread: Introduce yourself!!!!!

Hello Chris,

Welcome to SRP...

It appears that you are following the same path I did. First a DE, then a str8.

I love my DE too--a Merkur HD. DE razor shaving introduced me to all the shave creams/soaps, brushes and other paraphernalia that are also a part of str8 razor shaving. It is alleged that a DE shave is the closest thing to a str8 razor shave without actually using a str8.

Enough about the past. As a newbie myself I'll admit that becoming a str8 razor shaver seemed a bit daunting initially. Not to worry, though. SRP will provide you with a wealth of information to help you transition into str8 razor shaving. There is a wiki as well as various forums about pre and post-shave preparation. srt8 razors, shaving, brushes, stropping, etc. There is even a forum where you can post your "Shave of the Day." Check them out.

Again, welcome to the world of str8 razor shaving.

Mike,

My wife didn't want me to buy a str8 razor either. So I bought five.

Hi,

My name is Rob and I'm from Brooklyn New York.

When I graduated bootcamp my drill instructor told me he shaved the sides of his head with a staright razor for the high and tight look. I thought it was the coolest thing and went out and bought a shavette and some razors. I continued to do that as well as using the shavette to shave with for years. No special oil, no specail prep over than a hot shower and barbasol. A few months ago while cleaning out the basement I found my old shower kit with the shavette in it and decided to use it to shave. It was oddly meditative and it became part of my routine.

I figured if I was gonna stick with it I should get a proper Straight razor. I did some research and ended up at The Art of Shaving here in NYC where I bought one of their razors it does a fine job and along with the purchase they give you a free shave and a lesson on how to use it. Turns out I've been doing it wrong all this time. I will say I rarely knicked myself back in the day and hadn't knicked myself recently until I got home and tried to do it their way. LOL I confess their way makes more sense and I have incorporated what I was taught into my routine. I just wasn't used to it initially and I did end up knicking myself ON THE CHEEK twice.

From Lurking on here I found out about the Clauss USMC razor saw one ebay and bought it. When I get it I am shipping it off to Lynn to get fixed up.

I also ordered a Sharpened Dovo Perlex 6/8" from SRD. I figure in for a penny, in for a pound. "RAD" is that what we are calling it?

I am doing researching on honing and will be purchasing some supplies soon. I am also participating in the build your own razor thread so that should be interesting.

I look forward to learning a lot from all of you. Be well.

I've been wanting one for quite awhile. I've done hours of research. My wife was going to buy me one for Christmas, but I'm glad she didn't because there are so many factors involved and it is so personal!

Anyway, I am now waiting for a shipment from ruprazor, which seemed to be the best setup for a newbie. I'm actually pretty excited about it, but I'm sure to have more questions after I try. Anyway, Hello All!

rory

Hi everyone,

I just bought my first straight razor over the Holidays for fun and for something different. I thought it would be cool to shave with a straight razor so jumped right in. I bought one of the straight razor packages that had everything you needed for your first shave. Obviously I have a lot to learn but I have shaved twice with it. Once the night I got it (without knowing anything) and it went just ok. So I watched the video and I gave it another shot tonight. I managed to shave the entire face and did pretty darn good! Much easier than I thought it would be but still have a lot to learn and a lot of techniques to master. The video really helped since I really didn't know anything about shaving with a straight razor except what I saw on TV. But it went well and I'm looking forward to this new found hobby.

Thanks for the help with buying and thanks in advance for the help I'll get from this site.

Jon Martens

Another newbie here...

For a few years now I have been wet-shaving using a Merkur HD Classic and Merkur blades. I enjoy my badger brush and use Nivea sensitive cream. That tends to give me a satisfactory shaving experience.

Like all here, I suppose I am looking for the ultimate shaving experience.

I am a bit frustrated with the cream and will be picking up today some trumper's violet.

My problem with the routine is that the Merkur platinum blades are very pleasant the first two days. By day three, I can feel it's losing its edge. I want a perfect edge every shave.

Soooo, yesterday I went out and bought myself:



And a stropping paddle.

Of course, I tried shaving a couple of times already (successfully) but found the blade very grabby!

I am sure I am doing someting wrong stropping. The paddle frustrates me, it feels too small for a nice movement.

Other than that, I am also trying to fugure out if I need to buy a honing stone and how often I need to do that.

Cheerios from Beer-Land.

Hello Dorian and welcome from across the pond to SRP.

That's a beautiful razor you have there. BTW...your path to str8 razor shaving is a lot like mine. I began with a Merkur HD and DE blades, then moved on to str8 razor shaving.

If you find your blade grabby it is highly possible that: 1) your razor is not honed; and/or you are not stropping it properly or sufficiently to achieve/maintain a sharp enough edge.

A couple of suggestions....First, check with the store you purchased your razor from to see if they sell their str8 razors professionally honed. If not, ask them if they offer a honing service. IMHO, its worth the extra money to let an experienced honemeister sharpen your razor initially before you begin honing it yourself.

Second, consider purchasing a hanging 3" linen/leather strop. It gives you a longer and wider stropping surface and alleviates the need to rely on the traditional X pattern to strop your razor. You can also consult the SRP wiki as well as the forum on stropping to learn about proper stropping technique and the optimal number of repetitions on both the linen and leather sides of your strop to achieve and maintain a sharp edge on your str8 razor.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care and happy shaving...

Thanks!!!!

I went back to the shop and bought the biggest belt I could find. She evenoffered to take back the paddle. Sweet! I think I was pressing down too hard when stropping. Lady at shop said it was ready to shave. I guess I should have tried it before stropping. Not sure I find her that credible. She says honing really only needs to be done every year or so. I don't have the answer to that question yet... but that doesn't seem right.

In any case... I have my new belt, new cream and new balm. Eager to strop and try again. That is what it's all about, isn't it?

Hello, Newbie from sweden here.
Just wanted to try a straight to see how it was, bought me a used and honed "entry" razor from larryandro in the classifieds. an 4/8 "Dan Patch" Straight Razor.
also got me an "Herold solingen" strop. Razor arrived today and altough lacking technic I managed to get a shave without any blood.

Will continue practice and Learning through this site.

Originally Posted by Dorian

Thanks!!!!

I went back to the shop and bought the biggest belt I could find. She evenoffered to take back the paddle. Sweet! I think I was pressing down too hard when stropping. Lady at shop said it was ready to shave. I guess I should have tried it before stropping. Not sure I find her that credible. She says honing really only needs to be done every year or so. I don't have the answer to that question yet... but that doesn't seem right.

In any case... I have my new belt, new cream and new balm. Eager to strop and try again. That is what it's all about, isn't it?

Dorian,

Good! Now remember not to apply too much pressure to the blade as you strop. Go slow initially...Try 30-40 on the linen and 30-40 on the leather. You need to develop muscle memory and learn to turn the razor on its spine, not the blade. The purpose of stropping is not so much to sharpen your razor--that's what honing is for--but to align the blade for a smooth shave. Don't try to be perfect with your stropping at first. Just try as much as possible to learn good stropping technique and avoid gouging or nicking your strop with the blade.

Finally, the lady at the store was only partially correct. The number of times per year that you need to hone your str8 razor depends on the coarseness of your beard as well as the number of times you use the razor. One time per year may work for some, two times for others, three times for yet still others.

Happy shaving...